Viduka launches bid to win back Newcastle fans

Mark Viduka launches his bid to win back Newcastle United supporters as he returns from injury on Saturday.

Manager Joe Kinnear is hoping for a significant boost with the Australian international among three key players back from lengthy lay-offs to help the club’s fight against relegation from the English Premier League.

Obafemi Martins and England midfielder Alan Smith are also set to feature against West Bromwich Albion with the Nigerian international the most likely of the trio to start after his recovery from an eight-week absence following hernia surgery.

Smith, who is set to figure for the first time this season due to a serious ankle problem, is likely to be among the substitutes as Newcastle – who are just one point above the relegation zone – go in search of their first victory since before Christmas – a barren run of nine games.

Viduka has much to prove to Newcastle supporters after the 33-year-old left the pitch to chants of ‘you’re not fit to wear the shirt’ from angry travelling fans when he limped off with groin trouble in the 2-1 defeat at Wigan Athletic on December 26.

That came less than four weeks after his return from a six-month lay-off with a career-threatening Achilles problem in what has been an injury-plagued two seasons at St James’ Park.

The former Leeds and Celtic forward has scotched talk he is considering retirement due to his fitness worries, insisting he would love to play for Australia in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

But his persistent injury problems mean he has no hope of playing enough games this season to trigger the third year option on his current deal, and the Melbourne-born player is fighting for his future after making just 20 Premier League starts – scoring seven goals – in the last 18 months.

Sources at St James’ Park suggest that unless Viduka enjoys a prolific second-half to the campaign, the club is highly unlikely to enter talks into extending his 60,000-pound-a-week contract.

The return of Viduka – who is likely to be on the bench at the Hawthorns – offers Kinnear the chance to switch to a 4-3-3 formation which served former manager Kevin Keegan well last season.

The forward said: “The manager’s got a lot of options up front when everyone’s fit and this team has got goals in it.

“We pulled away from trouble last season when we used that formation and if we can click up front again then hopefully we can do the same this time.”

The returning trio proved their fitness by coming through a testing training session on Thursday and Kinnear revealed: “They all had a make-or-break training session where we pushed them really hard and thankfully they all came through okay.

“Oba is the nearest to starting and there’s a definite possibility that he may start. Having the lads back gives us more firepower and it will seem like having three new players on board.”